Coast Guard Heritage Museum at the U.S. Custom House in Barnstable Village, Cape Cod, Massachusetts Fall/Winter 2018 Newsletter Holidays for Lighthouse Families Coast Guard Lighthouses and the history of “The Flying Santa” Throughout the history To show his apprecia- of the U.S. Coast tion for their dedication Guard’s aviation and self-sacrifice, branch, Service air- Wincapaw decided to craft have come to the deliver gift parcels to aid of the American local lighthouses on public in emergencies Christmas Day. Early and in time of need. in the morning on However, the Holiday December 25, 1929, Season has provided a Wincapaw loaded the unique opportunity packages of Christmas for private citizens to gifts into his vintage return the favor. Trimotor flies over Graves Light, 1937 Beginning in the Great Depression, aviator William “Bill” Travel Air A-6000-A airplane, featur- Wincapaw began the tradition of “The Flying Santa.” Born ing a single radial engine and wicker in Friendship, Maine, Captain Wincapaw oversaw flight seats. That first year, he airdropped operations for the Curtiss Flying Service in Rockland, Christmas gifts to a dozen lighthouses Maine. He came to admire Maine’s lighthouse keepers and located along the Maine Coast. their families for standing the watch in isolated and often continured on page 6 inhospitable locations. Bill Wincapaw Our Oral History Program With the purchase of a new digital recorder, our efforts to collect Captain Bob Dinsmore is a graduate of the CG oral histories from Coast Guard veterans has begun in earnest. We Academy - Class of ’47. Bob served much of his plan to include portions of some of these in the museum’s audio career on ships, on the International Ice Patrol, and tours and add them to our growing archive and research library. If as one of the service’s early oceanographers. you have a Coast Guard story to tell, please consider allowing us to Admiral “Iceberg” Smith was his mentor and his record it. Some of our recent recordings include: recollections of this CG icon are invaluable in our understanding of the CG’s early role advancing the Chief Robert Jones is a 97-year-old WWII veteran country’s marine science programs. now living in Philadelphia. After the war, he complet- ed a career as a fireman in that city. In the early ‘40s, Petty Officer Vin Zavroskis, now living in he served as a trainer of both Coast Guardsmen and Falmouth, MA, served on a CG Loran Station in dogs preparing to conduct beach patrols along the U.S. the Pacific in the late 1950s. He told the story of East Coast. Later in the war, he supervised the Coast his experience surviving a typhoon that passed over Guard security detachment assigned to Naval Air his station, leveling virtually all the structures there. Station Martha’s Vineyard. His stories are fascinating. by Greg Ketchen, Captain, USCG (retired) President’s Report Our 2018 season is now over, at least for the six In November, we lost two exceptional Americans who were part months that we were open to the public. This has of our larger Coast Guard Family with ties to our service’s rich been an extraordinary year. We hosted several new history in Massachusetts. See the article in this newsletter by events that we hope will become annual traditions Nancy Shoemaker about Andy Fitzgerald who was part of the including lectures, a members’ only party, and an rescue that many consider to be the Coast Guard’s “Finest end-of-season Halloween celebration and we took Hours”. part in our village’s Fourth of July Olivia Hooker also died in November at parade. We also prototyped a new 103. Dr. Hooker was the first African- mini-theater, a “selfie” photo sta- American woman to serve on active duty tion, and technology to collect in the Coast Guard after her friend high-quality oral histories. With author Alex Haley, a Coast Guard petty the help of some very generous officer, recommended that she consider donations, we were able to expand serving in the military during World our archival initiatives, upgrade our Olivia Hooker on a CG cutter, Aine Glennon – a War II. 1945 administrative software, add some Halloween selfie new exhibits, and complete signifi- at the Museum She was enthusiastically accepted into the Coast Guard as a cant improvements to our facilities. With the start of SPAR and served in Boston as a YN2. Coast Guard the offseason, our hands-on work begins again as we Commandant Schultz offered that Dr. Hooker was “a pioneer tackle major renovations of our 2nd deck Grand in the history of women and Exhibit Hall and basement areas used for our library, minorities in the Coast Guard and office and artifact storage. We also plan to produce a the nation”. Her Coast Guard short film for our theater. Come visit us when we recruiter said “Miss Hooker is one reopen on 1 May. We’re sure that you will be very of the (most) outstanding young pleasantly surprised. women ever accepted for the SPARs”. We plan to include her During this past year, we experienced several emotion- compelling story in a future exhib- al highs and lows. We’re very excited about several it area in our museum dedicated to new board members and volunteer staff that bring us diversity in the Coast Guard. new talents, experience and energy. Sadly though, as Olivia Hooker before Congress in 2005 AP photo we mentioned in our summer newsletters, three of our family here at the museum “crossed the bar” earlier Greg Ketchen, Captain, USCG (retired) this year and then we lost Jim Travers in October. President, CG Heritage Museum

Crossing the Bar The Museum was saddened to learn of National Cemetery in Bourne, on Memorial and the passing of one of our longtime Veterans Days. His museum tours were always well docents, James E. Travers, 83, of received and we will miss his good humor and the Lynnfield and Sagamore Beach. Jim was historical accuracy he infused into his discussions. born in Boston and raised in West Jim is survived by his beloved wife of 56 years, Roxbury, MA, graduating from Massa- Helen (Sullivan), as well as their five children and chusetts Maritime Academy and Suffolk University Law twelve grandchildren. A funeral Mass was held at St. School. He served his country in the United States Navy Maria Goretti Church in Lynnfield with interment and went on to have a civilian career at General Electric, in Forest Hill Cemetery, Lynnfield. Donations may retiring in 1997. be made in Jim’s memory to Massachusetts Deeply patriotic, Jim volunteered at the Coast Guard Maritime Academy, 101 Academy Drive, Buzzards Heritage Museum and placed flags at the Massachusetts Bay, MA 02532.

2 Coast Guard Heritage Museum V. N . by Fitzgerald WebberPattie and of Hamilton Photo Remembering a Coast Guard Hero Andrew J. Fitzgerald, Jr. passed Fifty-seven years later Andy spoke of a few interesting details

Shoemaker away on November 15th. He was of that night: 87. Born in Brockton, Mass. - • When he wasn’t checking the engines, he was holding the Andy was proud of being from the search light from the forward hatch. hometown of Rocky Marciano, • The engines died twice. What a catastrophe that would the famous boxer. have been if the lifeboat had permanently lost power. The country knew of him as a crew member of the • A few days later the boat had trouble getting into reverse. famous Coast Guard rescue of the Pendleton on February He was still shaking his head over that one. 18, 1952 as depicted in the Disney movie, “The Finest • The rescue is often described as making pass after pass to Hours,” from the book by authors Casey Sherman and the Jacob’s Ladder, picking up one survivor at a time. Not true. Michael Tougias. He said the Pendleton crew were jumping off the ladder onto or near the boat (into the water) sometimes two or three at a time. His Coast Guard family knew him as Andy, the easy- going, always approachable former engineer of the • With 20 survivors on the vessel, there appeared to be no USCG 36500. He had enlisted in the Coast Guard for a more room. The boat was getting unstable – more and more very simple reason: to save lives. We all hope we have had difficult to maneuver as it was sitting low in the water. an impact on public safety and, in our own ways and with Remember the seas that night have been reported to be as our own specialities, we most likely did. But Andy, at 20 high as 60 feet. But even if the seas were closer to 30 or 40 years old, became an integral part of Coast Guard history as feet, it was a violent ride.There was talk of returning to the a crew member of the 36500. station with the rescued members of the Pendleton crew and coming back to retrieve the rest. Andy said he was the loud- After boot camp, Fitzgerald was sent to a lightship on est critic of that idea: “I don’t want to come out again!” Their Nantucket Sound. He didn’t take to lightship duty. He decision to stay on station and get all Pendleton crew on board found it boring and was often seasick from the constant probably saved lives. Andy said, “Coming back in was easy. swells passing under the anchored ship. A crew member We surfed in with following seas.” senior to Andy loved the duty but was slated for a transfer. The crew of the 36500, Bernie Webber, Irving Maske, Andy volunteered to take his place; 30 days was enough. Richard Livesey, and Andy, were reluctant heroes. They were He was transferred to Chatham Station. And then . . . not in a celebratory mood when they returned to the Station. There was a call for crew members on the mess deck. They were tired and thinking of the ship’s cook who had per- BM1 Bernie Webber’s go-to engineman, Gus Gouthro*, ished. Fitzgerald didn’t tell his wife Gloria about the rescue was sick and had been out all day securing vessels in prepa- until two years into their marriage. ration for the storm. Bernie was going to rouse Gus, but After three years of active duty, Andy Fitzgerald said, “You can’t wake him up. I’ll go with you.” Fitzgerald moved to Colorado and started We all know the story of the a successful career as an equipment sales- heroic rescue of 32 seamen man. Andrew J. Fitzgerald, Jr. lived a long from the stern section of the and full life - and saved a few lives along T-2 tanker the Pendleton. the way. by Nancy Viall Shoemaker 1952: Fitzgerald handling lines at the forward hatch, photo by Dick Kelsey 2009: Fitzgerald in the forward hatch of the 36500 with (l-r) *see spring 2018 issue Livesey, Pendleton survivor Charles Bridges, Maske, Webber

Moments in Coast Guard History 7 December 1793: The first Revenue Cutter Service court martial occurred on this date aboard the cutter Massachusetts. The offender,Third Mate Sylvanus Coleman of Nantucket, was summarily dismissed from the ser- vice for "speaking disrespectfully of his superior officers in public company ...insulting Captain John Foster Williams [the commanding officer] on board, and before company ... for keeping bad women on board the cutter in Boston and setting a bad example to the men by ordering them to bring the women on board at night and carrying them ashore in the morning . . . " and for writing an order in the name of the commanding officer. Courtesy the Coast Guard Historian’s Office www.history.uscg.mil/Portals/1/events/pdf/december.pdf

Coast Guard Heritage Museum 3 Lightships of Cape Cod (cont’d) In our Summer Newsletter Lightship article, the reader was left wondering what had happened to LV-6 (Light Vessel) frozen into the ice in Nantucket Sound during the winter of 1918. Captain of the vessel, Richard E.B. Phillips of Dennisport had taken regular leave from the ship, leaving First Mate Henry F. Joy in command. It was later reported that Mr. Joy had walked across seven miles of sea ice to Nantucket Harbor in order to ask permission of the Commanding Officer at Station Brant Point to abandon ship. He was ordered by the local USLHS District Officer to return to his ship and maintain station.

With the mid-winter thaw on February 1st, 1918, the ice blown off station by a gale resulting in a resting location sheet began to move and Lightship #6, Cross Rip was off the coast of Bermuda, 800 miles off-station. In all, it dragged off station. It was last seen moving out of the east- was reported that #1 broke loose from her mooring 23 ern entrance of Nantucket Sound with its ensign upside times between 1855 and 1892, and left as many as 25 down in a sign of distress. The Head Lighthouse Keeper mushroom anchors at the bottom of the sea around the William Grieder of Great Point Lighthouse alerted the point of anchorage. In a colorful first person account, tender ship Azalea which searched for the ship, but it was journalist Gustav Kobbe, in the Century Magazine pulled out to sea with the ice floes. The ship and her crew (described as the National Geographic of its time) wrote were lost at sea. All crew members were locals: Frank an article entitled “Life on the South Shoal Lightship” in Johnson, Machinest, South Yarmouth, MA; William Rose, August 1891 in which he described the lightship as having Cook, North Harwich, MA; Almon Wixon, Seaman, left “…a regular mushroom plantation at the bottom of the Dennisport, MA; Arthur C. Joy, Seaman, Dennisport, sea.” MA; E.H. Phillips, Seaman, West Dennis, MA. Next, to better service the In 1987, a lightship bell presumed to be from the LV-6 was treacherous location, the #54 recovered off Nauset Beach. (1892) was placed 17 miles further southeast of the origi- In an 1843 report to Congress, it was stated that “the nal station. Steel hulled, she Shoals of Nantucket are known and dreaded by every nav- was on station only a few igator on the Atlantic seaboard…” “The Shoals themselves months, and almost foundered Life aboard a lightship stretch like angry fingers, covering hundreds of square in a heavy gale, and was therefore moved to the less-exposed miles with shifting sand bars and dangerous cross currents. Boston station. Replacement vessel #58 (1892-1896) Heavy fog saturates this area, covering it in a grey shroud foundered off Nantucket Island, but the crew was rescued, more than 40 percent of the year.” and she later became a Relief vessel. The first lightship Nantucket Lightship #66 (1896-1907) had the designa- selected to anchor at tion of being the most exposed lightship to date, this exposed location, anchored 50 miles from the nearest point of land. She dangerously far from was also a pioneer in the radio industry in 1901, when land, was the 104 foot Lightship #66 received the first land-to-sea radio trans- long #11, built in 1853 mission off the North American coast from the wireless and bearing the name Nantucket South Shoals. Located transmitting station established by Gugleilmo Marconi 40 miles southeast of Nantucket, Lightship Nantucket in Chatham. was put on station in 1854 to mark the limits of the dan- gerous Nantucket Shoals. It was blown off station and In 1905, while the #66 was being spelled (relieved) by dashed on the rocks off Long Island, but not before the Relief Vessel #58, the Relief vessel developed a leak during crew was rescued. a heavy gale and became the first American vessel to use the newly installed wireless radio for a distress call at sea. By 1855, #11 was removed and replaced by the sturdier Neither “SOS” nor “CQD” had been established as the LV-#1. Named Nantucket New South Shoals No. 1, it was emergency call, so the radioman used “HELP”, broadcasting double hulled by design. In the space between the hulls, salt in both the new International Morse Code and the long- was poured to ‘sweeten’ the wood. In effect, it was virtual- established American Morse Code. She sank due to the ly petrified to strengthen its outer structure. In 1878, it was gale forces but all hands were rescued.

4 Coast Guard Heritage Museum Lightship #71 had a brief stint on station during the win- also called a Texas Tower. Briefly pressed into communica- ter of 1906, but was moved to off the coast of North tions duty in Maine, and as a fueling station for Coast Guard Carolina, where in 1918, it became the only lightship sunk enforcement vessels, cost modifications needed to make her by enemy action. The #85 (1907) gained distinction dur- truly useful were prohibitive. On March 29, 1985, WLV-612 ing World War I as a refuge for 115 shipwrecked sailors in was officially decommissioned. Thus, Lightships and their October 1917, when a German U-boat sank five merchant colorful history passed into the navigational annals, along vessels south of the lightship. with coasting schooners and whaling ships. When Nantucket Lightship #117 was placed in 1931, there END OF AN ERA had not been a loss of life on station since its inception in Most lightships are long gone, decommissioned or sold for 1854. By 1934, Nantucket Lightship had been recognized scrap. In the lifetime of lightship service, from 1820 to as the only lightship guiding vessels to and from Europe in 1985, ten vessels were lost to storms, at least 14 sunk by the the North Atlantic sea lanes. Her position was 200 miles Confederate Navy during the Civil War, over 150 collisions east of New York City and she was sometimes called the were documented and five lightships were verified as lost. ‘Statue of Liberty of the Sea’ since she was the first tangi- By 1956, only 25 remained on station, and on March 29, ble indication of the United States to many immigrants as 1985 the last lightship in service, the USCG WLV-612 they approached the East Nantucket, was decommissioned, thus ending 164 years of Coast. On May 15, 1934, continuous lightship service by the Federal Government. the British luxury liner S.S. Olympic, the sister Many of these sturdy sentinels met with questionable demise ship to the ill-fated Titanic, because records are incomplete, inconsistent or lost altogeth- struck the Nantucket er. LV-17 and LV-18 were used for target practice after being Lightship #117 at 16 transferred to the U.S. Navy. LV-20 was sold privately and knots in pea-soup fog. In a matter of minutes, the light- used by rumrunners during Prohibition. A few have become ship was sent to the bottom killing four crewmen instantly. floating museums or restaurants across the country, in cities as Three others died later from their injuries. diverse as New York City, Portland (OR), Philadelphia, Seattle, Port Huron, MI, Baltimore, Astoria (OR), and Two years later, the British government gave the Light- Oakland (CA). When George H. W. Bush served as Vice house Service a replacement ship designated LV-#112 as President, WLV-612 was briefly used as a radar and security- reparation for the sinking of the #117. It was equipped with communications platform when the Bushes were present at the most sophisticated safety devices available at the time, their vacation home in Kennebunkport, Maine. LV-3 and including radio-beacon wireless, two-tone diaphone fog-signal LV-42 were both burned as part of a firework display on the horn and a submarine oscillator. The ship was placed on sta- 4th of July. Still another light vessel, after being declared as tion in 1936 and except for three years during World War surplus, was bought on E-Bay by an entrepreneur and con- II when she was replaced by a lighted bell-buoy, and for two verted into luxurious vacation rentals with spacious cabins, years (1958–1960), the #112 was on station from 1936 to granite countertops and spectacular shoreline views, amenities 1973. She outlasted two notable hurricanes (1954 and certainly never thought possible by the long-forgotten crews. 1959), surviving 110 mile per hour winds and 70 foot seas. by Patricia Garrity Lightship WLV-612, built in 1950 in Curtis Bay, Maryland BIBLIOGRAPHY was originally stationed in San Francisco. It was transferred to Boucher, M. (2018). United States Lighthouse Society. Retrieved from its final station, Nantucket Shoals, in 1975, thus becoming uslhs.org/history/lightships. the only lightship to transit the Panama Canal in both http://military.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_lightships_of_the_United_States. (2018). List of lightships of the United States. Retrieved from directions. During its last four years on the Shoals, it alter- military.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_. nated service stints of roughly 21 days on with WLV-613 Kobbe, G. (1891, August). "Life on the South Shoal Lightship". Century (Nantucket Lightships I and II), the only two surviving Magazine. Leach, T. H. (2006, January). The Lightships of Nantucket Sound. lightships guarding the Retrieved from threeharbors.com/lightships. shores and waterways of the Lindenberg, C. W. (n.d.). Lighthouses with Wet Basements. Retrieved from United Sates. In 1983, the jacksjoint.com. The United States Coast Guard Lightship Sailors Association International, Inc. Nantucket Shoals Light- (n.d.). Retrieved from www.uscglightshipsailors.org. ship was replaced by a large Thompson, F. L. (1983). The Lightships of Cape Cod. Portland, Maine: navigational buoy (LNB) Congress Square Press. unknown. (1828-1969). Lightship Anchorages 1828-1969. Retrieved from www.uscglightshipsailors.org/lightships/CapeLSmap.jpg. Wikipedia. (2018, June 3). en.wikipedia.org. Retrieved from List of Lightship and replacement buoy Lightships of the United States.

Coast Guard Heritage Museum 5 Coast Guard Heritage Museum P.O. Box 161 • 3353 Main Street, Barnstable, MA 02630 508-362-8521 • email: [email protected] • www.cgheritage.org CGHM Officers President: CAPT Greg Ketchen, USCG (ret) • Vice President: CAPT H. F. “Buck” Baley USCG (ret) 2nd Vice President: Patricia Garrity • Clerk/Secretary: Peter Eleftherakis Treasurer: Stephen DeCesare, USCG Veteran Newsletter Staff & Contributors CGHM Board of Directors Pat Garrity, Editor Stuart Bornstein; Bill Collette, Past President, MKCS, USCG (ret); “Buck” Baley, Greg Ketchen, Nancy Viall Shoemaker, James Ellis, USAF Veteran; Richard Fichter, MKCS, USCG (ret); William Thiesen George Howe, CDR, USCG (ret); Mary Manning; Nancy V. Shoemaker, USCGR Veteran; Mark Toomey, CWO4, (ret); Victor Viola, BMC, USCGR (ret) Would you like to publish an article in our newsletter? Contact us at 508-362-8521.

Visit us at www.capecodmuseumtrail.com Newsletter graphic design by West Barnstable Press

Coast Guard Lighthouses and the history of “The Flying Santa” (cont’d) Wincapaw continued the tradition After Wincapaw’s passing, Edward Snow took over the pro- the next year and, over time, came to gram, and Snow and his family became the heart and soul of be known as “The Flying Santa” and the operation. With the support of dedicated pilots, Snow the “Santa of the Lighthouses.” He honored Wincapaw by expanding the flights to include nearly began to dress the part and enlisted his 180 lighthouses and boat stations. In certain years, the program son, Bill, Jr., to pilot additional even served installations along the shores of the West Coast and Flying Santa, 1946 Christmas Day flights. His gift Great Lakes; and remote locations, such as Bermuda and Sable parcels included basic items, such as newspapers, maga- Island, 100 miles off the Nova Scotia coast. zines, coffee, tea, candy, tobacco, soup, yarn, pens and pen- Snow continued the Christmas tradition for 45 years. He retired cils. By 1933, the program proved so popular that Wincapaw in 1981, when failing health prevented him from taking part in expanded it to include 91 lighthouses from Maine to Rhode further Flying Santa missions.That year, oversight of the Flying Island and Connecticut. He even found commercial sponsors Santa program passed to the Hull Lifesaving Museum and heli- to underwrite the cost of the parcels and the flights. copters replaced fixed-wing aircraft to transport the Flying In the late 1930s, the program expanded requiring the Santa. In 1987, lighthouses underwent automation; however, services of a third Santa. The Wincapaws enlisted New the Flying Santa continued to visit Coast Guard bases and England maritime historian Edward Rowe Snow to fill the installations. In the 1990s, a position. During World War II, deliveries became more number of retired Coast sporadic; however, by war’s end the Flying Santa visited an Guardsmen began volun- impressive 115 lighthouses and Coast Guard stations. In teering to serve as the Flying 1946, the program even tested the latest aviation technol- Santa. Moreover, in 1997, ogy using a helicopter to assist in airborne deliveries. The the all-volunteer Friends of Flying Santa reverted to fixed-wing aircraft the next year Flying Santa was organized and helicopters would not be used again for over 30 years. as a private non-profit to run

the Flying Santa program. First Flying Santa 1946 helicopter, In 1947, Captain Wincapaw suffered a heart attack during a flight out of Rockland and died in the ensuing crash. The Flying Santa has been in operation nearly ninety years Numerous lighthouse keepers, their families, and repre- since Captain Wincapaw founded it. During that time, the sentatives from the Coast Guard, Army and Navy attend- Flying Santa has missed only the year 1942 due to the secu- ed Wincapaw’s memorial service. At the appointed time rity concerns of World War II. Today, the program delivers of the service, foghorns and lighthouse warning bells Christmas gifts to over 800 Coast Guard children at 75 units called out along the Maine Coast to honor the man who located from Maine to New York. established the beloved Flying Santa tradition. by William H. Thiesen, Historian, Atlantic Area, USCG